Walt Disney Animation Studios announced today that "Paperman," a short film combining the best of the computer-generated and hand-drawn animation worlds, will make its theatrical debut in front of Wreck-It Ralph, hitting theaters nationwide on Nov. 2, 2012. The short will play in front of Wreck-It Ralph for most international markets (release dates vary by market). Taking the art of animation in a bold new direction, "Paperman" is directed by John Kahrs and produced by Kristina Reed.

Using a minimalist black-and-white style, the short follows the story of a lonely young man in mid-century New York City, whose destiny takes an unexpected turn after a chance meeting with a beautiful woman on his morning commute. Convinced the girl of his dreams is gone forever, he gets a second chance when he spots her in a skyscraper window across the avenue from his office. With only his heart, imagination and a stack of papers to get her attention, his efforts are no match for what fate has in store for him.

Kahrs, a veteran animator who joined WDAS in 2007, led an innovative team of 2D and CG artists who used a proprietary program called Meander to create the short. Employing a technique called final line advection, artists were able to add a level of grace and expressiveness never before seen in an animated film.

The world premiere of the short took place on the opening night of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, June 4, 2012. Its U.S. premiere is slated for the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 17, 2012.

Hitting theaters on November 2nd, Walt Disney Animation Studios' Wreck-It Ralph has revealed its full voice cast. In addition to leading talent John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch, the video game adventure will include the following:

For decades, Ralph (Reilly) has been overshadowed by Fix-It Felix, Jr. (McBrayer), the good-guy star of their game who always gets to save the day. Tired of playing the role of a bad guy, Ralph takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a journey across the arcade through multiple generations of video games to prove he’s got what it takes to be a hero.

On his quest, Ralph meets tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (Lynch) from the first-person action game Hero’s Duty, and feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (Silverman) from the candy-coated cart racing game, Sugar Rush, who may just be his first real friend. But everything changes when a deadly enemy is unleashed, threatening the entire arcade and Vanellope herself. Ralph finally gets his chance to save the day—but can he do it in time?